Magnum Opus
by modoki121396
Summary: The greatest, most magnificent, the finale, the philosophers stone. Nigredo, part one, and black as their hearts. An alchemic accident sends Roy, Ed, and Al to the wizarding world with little hope of return. A deal with Molly Weasly later and they find themselves more at home in government corruption and a foreign war than they would have liked.
1. Calcination

Hi I'm Juana or Juans for short Marisol or Soul for short is my older adopted sister you might know her as Cajun_Karma on live journal. She's crazy but gona be helping me with some of my first story, EVER.. As a heads up this takes place post promised day but Ed has alchemy which will be explained later (he also has both automail arm and leg also explained) and mustang fixed his eyes so… yay…. Here we go

For those of you who have read this already im going over it for mistakes and stuff sorry if you see an alert for nothing but by tomorrow I should have at least two new chaps up (soul 12/2/12)

The parade grounds were empty as they usually were when this day rolled around. The promised day, and the day of the Elric's state alchemist exam. After the first epic Flame vs. Fullmetal match no one came anywhere near the grounds when the state exams were going on. But the word Elric earlier was pluralized. Young Alphonse Elric had become a state alchemist since the restoration of his body. The military referred to him as the Spirit Weaver Alchemist but at the moment the two most esteemed and respected officers in the military were referring to him as an idiot.

"Al it's not going to work and its way to dangerous to try don't even think about it," Ed sounded serious and his golden eyes burned with anger he was hardly reigning in.

"But brother the equation is fool proof nothing could go wrong!" Al was adamant.

"Al do you remember the last time we said that?" Ed's eyes were now hidden by his bangs.

"We're older now do you think I would make the same mistake. Do you think I would even tell you about this unless I was confident it would work?" Al was getting upset now.

"Look let's talk about this after the exam. The Generals getting antsy and I wana wipe that smug smirk off his stupid face"

"Ed!" Al was surprised by this quick change of mood and more than concerned for the general in question.

General Mustang stood on the other side of the parade grounds growing more and more anxious with the way the boys were conversing so seriously, and how Ed seemed to be getting more and more angry. He decided to break it up before something happened between the two.

"When you girls are done I have a test to conduct," he called over smirking at the two boys across from him and watched as Alphonse's face transformed from confusion to rage.

"GIRL?" Al screeched as he charged at mustang clapping his hands and leaving his brother to catch up. Then many things happened in rapid sequence.

Mustang snapped. Ed jumped in front of Al, hands poised to clap. Al panicked. There was a sick crackle of alchemy and the fire that surrounded the three turned green.

Over in London, the Weasly's were celebrating Harry's successful trial in the kitchen when suddenly the fireplace flared green and three very unusual individuals tumbled out.

"What the fuck did you do Mustang!" this came from a rather short golden haired man

"Language Fullmetal." this was a tall pale black haired man

"Brother I think that was me…" this was the last one taller than the first but obviously younger if the roundness of his face was anything to judge by.

"You tried it anyway." the first speaker spoke in a low voice obviously threatening as he glared at the youngest "even after I told you not to!"

"It was an accident! I panicked I…" he trailed off as he seemed to take stock of his souroundings for the first time, looking around, and continuing in a whisper "brother where are we?"

Mustang voiced the question to the room taking on the role of speaker "I'm sorry there seems to have been an accident could you tell us where we are?"

Then one of the oddest looking men the three amestrians had ever encountered stepped forward pointing a stick at them two other men were quick to follow suit. Ed laughed but before he could make a witty comment three simultaneous stupifys hit the three men square in the chest effectively knocking them out.

The main goal then was to dispose of the three men before Molly Weasly could find them and see that two of them were hardly men at all. They would wait for Dumbledore he would know what to do with them.

_Then_ they would tell Molly.

Edward Elric awoke to a pounding headache.

"Fuck…" he moaned.

"Has anyone ever expressed their distaste for your vulgarity." the smarmy voice of Gen. Mustang came from behind him.

Ed attempted to get up, only to find he was tied to not only the smug Bastard but to his unconscious brother.

"Al!" there was fear laced his voice now. When there was no response he became almost insane in his attempts to get at his brother. "**AL!**"

"FULLMETAL! Stop struggling you're just making the restraints tighter." Mustang's calm almost bored voice infuriated Ed. That was his brother sitting limp and inert between them how could he be so damn calm.

Ed didn't stop struggling though, in fact he struggled harder. Mustang had to wonder if it was for sheer spite he continued tugging or if worry made him forget his abilities on a regular basis.

"Fullmetal care to take care of these bonds before you damage all of our hands?" this caused Ed to pause if only for a second.

"You do it." Ed replied. Obviously irritated that the man had waited this long to do so himself.

"They took my gloves" there was a strange note in Mustangs voice.

"Ha! Wait who's they?" Ed's brow's came together.

"I have no idea. I've been up for a while and no one has come anywhere near this room. I've heard nothing voices or otherwise."

Ed stood up and dusted his hands off on his pants. Mustang jumped in surprise. Ed looked down; "you're getting rusty in old age" was all he had to say before he got to work untangling his brother from the mass of ropes that constricted him.

It wasn't too long after they had managed to rouse Al that there was a glow from the key hole in the door and it opened to allow entrance to seven very strange people.

The first was the man with the strange fake eye. The man who the Amestrians remembered had instigated the attack on them. As he walked in the alchemists were immediately on high alert. Then came the other two attackers. One, a man with dark skin and deep purple robes, the other was a slightly insane looking longhaired man who was wearing more normal looking clothes in a dingy grey shirt and black pants. Then came the oldest looking man the three had ever encountered. His beard was tucked into the belt of his midnight blue robe. He wore half-moon glasses and his eyes held anger and fear well masked by a grandfatherly twinkle. Next came a sickly looking man with grey hair with a young heart faced woman at his elbow. Lastly a fatherly looking man with red hair came in and, upon surveying Al's age, scowled at the weird eyed one before uttering a sentence that not only confused the three but served to drive the point home that they were currently in the company of a cult of horribly insane foreigners.

"Look at them Mad Eye. They look like muggles', and the blonds looks no older than my sons how could you stupefy them so freely when they seem so obviously harmless"

Ed leaned towards Mustang "What's a muggle?"

Mustang's only decent reply was "What's a stupefy?"

The elderly one looked to the one with the weird eye, eyes twinkling and a smile on his wrinkled face,

"I thought you said they were restrained."

The weird eyed one responded with a gruff "They were."

"Ah well it seems you have under estimated our guests, who I have to say are wearing odd clothes even for death eaters. Wouldn't you agree Alastor?"

Before the man with the weird eye, newly dubbed Alastor, could speak Ed broke in, "Wait one fucking minute. This is kidnap! Who the hell do you think you are? Who the hell do you think you're dealing with?"

"See Dumbledore I told you the blond was violent and he has fake limbs you can never trust a person with fake limbs." this was Alastor again

"You would know you have a fake leg don't you?" Ed replied cheekily. The man puffed up like a blowfish.

Dumbledore merely chuckled "Rebellious and confused yes Alastor but I doubt he means us any real harm." he then clapped his hands together which caused all three alchemists to go into fighting stances. The man's eyebrows drew together but he didn't stop to ponder the odd behavior " hm… it seems we have forgotten our manners I believe introductions are in order."

Al piped up from where Ed had made him stand behind him and Mustang.

"Sir, perhaps first you could tell us why we were attacked when we really didn't mean to show up here. I mean we hardly know where hear is. We tried to apologies. It was my fault. I miscalculated my circle"

"I'm sorry dear boy what do you mean by circle?"

"An alchemic array…. How could you now know? Isn't it what you attacked us with?"

"No. Alchemy is a dead art, we used magic, you nutter." This came from the dingy looking one.

Ed was trying to contain a laugh "First don't call my brother crazy when you look like you just escaped from an asylum yourself. Second magic isn't real so why don't you tell us the truth. We've seen a lot of crazy shit in our lives we'll believe you. Maybe." Mustang elbowed him and the two began glaring at each other sparks nearly flying.

The one with red hair's eyes lit up with curiosity "Are you a muggle?"

"I don't know what the fuck a muggle is but _I'm_ an alchemist" Ed smirked and pointed to himself "The Fullmetal Alchemist to be exact" he seemed to be waiting for a reaction, and when none came looked at them in near shock. "What the hell backwater town are you idiots from?"

The female eyes widened "Backwater?" she snorted "_London, _backwater?" she started laughing and her hair turned a bright bubblegum pink.

Ed jumped back shielding his brother before reminding himself Envy was dead and lowering his guard. Al though failed to remember and attempted to get past his brother to get at her, Mustang caught him by the arms.

"Let me go. It's Envy! We have to stop him. Don't you two remember what he's done! General LET ME GO!"

"Al Envy's dead." Mustang had a waver in his voice as he spoke. Having seen envy die with his own eyes he knew she couldn't be him, but greed had been recreated, who's to say, in all the chaos, they hadn't missed something so vital. There were too many buts and if's to jump to conclusions right now.

"Then how did she…."

The man with grey hair, who looked rather sickly to the three alchemists, stepped to the front of the group but, Mustang noted he took care not to step ahead of Dumbledore. That meant the old one was their leader. Odd but he'd seen worse. Then he stuck his hand out and spoke.

"I agree with Dumbledore our actions were rash and not thought through. If you would, I am Remus Lupin, and this" he said pointing to the, now pink haired, woman staring at them in open curiosity, "is Tonks not this 'Envy' person you keep speaking of. She's a metamorphmegus it allows her, within reasonable limits to change her appearance. "

"Reasonable limits?" Ed asked.

"well it's not like I can break and grow bones to get huge and short now can I?" The pink haired woman winked at them.

Envy could. Mustang was the first to accept the truce and stepped forward to take Lupins hand saying,

"I am General Roy Mustang the Flame Alchemist of the Amestrian military," he then shook Tonk's hand, not missing the looks the other group shared at the unfamiliar name. He then pointed to Ed and Al in turn saying "and these are my subordinates Colonel Edward Elric. Who you already know is the Fullmetal Alchemist, and Major Alphonse Elric the Spirit Weaver Alchemist."

They went around introducing themselves, and generally getting along until Dumbledore got around to his own introduction.

"Hello I am Albus Dumbledore headmaster for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It's a pleasure."

A tick mark appeared on Ed's forehead "For the last time old man magic isn't real!"

"I do believe I intend to change your mind."

Ed's only response was a malicious grin.

Al knew that grin and slapped a hand to his head in frustration. Not much more than five minutes and his brother had already started a fight.

Ed took a step forward but before anything could start, Dumbledore lifted his wand vanishing with a resounding _crack. _Ed was confused but determined not to show anything for it and instead jumped at the man closest to him.

"Where did he go? Ed asked.

Sirius' laughing surprise turned quickly to irritation.

"How should I know?" he replied hotly.

"He's your leader. You should know where he went and I'm not done with him. He owes us answers. So, _where is he_?"

Sirius smirked "You can use that tone all you want midget. It doesn't change the fact that I don't know where he is."

In an instant Al was behind his brother with one arm around his torso and the other over his mouth as Ed thrashed and from his mouth could be heard what was obviously a string of obscenities, some he recognized some in a language he had never heard, even through the hand that covered it. Sirius' smirk widened and he tucked that piece of info away for further use.

"Brother, calm down…"Al said, an obvious sigh in his voice. "Mr. Black probably doesn't know where Mr. Dumbledore is and you didn't really go about getting the information the right way."

"This is why you're the ambassador Alphonse, not him." Mustang added with a chuckle as the shorter blonds antics calmed.

Sirius got an evil glint in his eye "Sure that, and Alphonse doesn't need a stepstool to shake someone's hand"

In the space of a second Ed was once again trying to get his hands around Sirius' neck.

Al shook his head, again sighing. "Mr. Black if you're going to insist on goading my brother's temper, I'm going to leave you to his mercy." Sirius met Al's level look and, deciding to err on the side of caution, took it down a notch.

Once Al believed Ed was calm, he released his brother. He only realized his monumental mistake when Ed dashed passed the gathered wizards, ripped open the door, and ran down the hall in search of the missing Dumbledore. That is if his screeches of the man's name were anything to go by.

Mustang pinched the bridge of his nose as Al took off after his brother along with two men, Lupin and Kingsley if memory served, right behind him.

He looked over to the man named Arthur "I…" he started but the older man cut him off.

"I have _six_ sons trust me. I understand."

Mustang was giving Arthur an appraising look. They would have to share a drink one evening, trade war stories, when Alastor broke the revere.

"Shouldn't you have more control of your subordinates?" he asked gruffly

"I could say quite the same no?" Mustang countered looking first to Sirius then towards the two that had run off.

Alastor grumbled but otherwise said nothing. As Tonks tried to smother her laughter. Rather unsuccessfully, truth be told.

"Either way I doubt that Ed would follow a direct order if it came from the Fuehrer himself."

The group looked confused at the title but Tonks spoke first.

"Then why keep him in your ranks? Isn't it dangerous if he turned on you?" Tonks asked. Trying to grasp the entire scenario in her mind.

"He would never turn on me, his country, it goes against his nature and he's worth fifty alchemists despite his attitude and lack of respect for laws." At this Tonks let out a low whistle. "And anyway," Mustang added "he's really only violent when you remark on his height. Or lack thereof."

There was a yell from down the hall "I'll get you later Mustang!"

Tonks and Mustang shared a look and began laughing.

-Meanwhile-

"Ed! ED STOP! I don't think he's here anymore." Al said attempting to reason with his hot headed brother. Not that tended to work.

"Even if they are I don't want to stay here. We'll find out where we are and figure out a way to get home as soon as we can." Ed trotted around a corner and dug his heels into the carpet to stop himself from running into the sudden obstacle. Al, not given enough time to react, continued running strait into his brother effectively toppling the smaller blond over. Ed caught himself but he slammed his own head into the hardwood floors. He heard a shattering sound that was oddly out of place but paid it little mind.

Ed was struggling to push Al off him, groaning Al rolled over to let his squirming brother up, and saw what had made his brother pause. Standing in front of the two in a state of shock was a redheaded woman who stood before what was once probably a pot of tea and several teacups but now bore a very poor resemblance to its origins.

Ed was already up and, as their uniforms demanded in front of a woman, in full salute. Al scrambled upright and hardly noticed as he swayed on his feet. The woman looked alarmed and reached forward but before she could say anything he spoke accompanied with his own rigid salute.

"Ma'am I am terribly sorry, for the scare and the mess. Please allow me to clean this up?" He then smiled disarmingly at the flustered woman as he clapped his hands and in a mixture of blue and white sparks fixed the tea set to its original glory which, he patted himself on the back, included the tea. When that was done he returned to his salute seeing that Ed was still rigid as a board in his salute and waiting to see how things would play out.

The woman looked at a loss for words and her eyes continued their dance between Al and the previously destroyed tea set resting in his unoccupied hand.

That was until Lupin and Kingsley caught up and having sighted Molly blanched and tried to back up mouths opening and closing no sound coming out in their trepidation. The boys offered no help.

Suddenly a look of horrified understanding lit up Molly's face as she realized why everyone had been acting strangely. Why the door on the third floor had been locked. She took in the boys' disheveled appearance, the singe marks on their clothes as well as the now visible rope burns on the wrists of the younger blond as his sleeves slid from his awkward pose. Her anger reached its boiling point as she looked no older than Fred and George but they seemed to be well used to the treatment they were receiving. That was their eyes their eyes gave her a clear view into a soul older than any wizard she had ever met.

She opened her mouth to let loose what was no doubt a fit to go down in history when the younger boy gasped, doubled over, and clutched both hands over the center of his chest. The tea set fell to the floor again. And the boy was surrounded in the same sparks that had fixed the cups. This time though the color looked to molly a horrid and foreboding violet.

"Alphonse!" The shorter boy screeched in a tone that somehow spoke like what was going on was not right, and he knew it.

The boy, Alphonse, Molly now knew, was consumed by a fit of coughing that forced him to fall to the floor as blood flowed over his hands and onto the floor.

Hurried footsteps could be heard down the hall but they were far from the small groups mind.

Molly gasped and reached out to the boy with the hand that wasn't covering her mouth.

"Don't touch him!" was the biting reprimand her efforts were met with, and she looked at the older blond. She saw the sparks reflected in the unshed tears in his odd golden eyes and tried to hide her own look of helplessness. "I don't know what's going on for sure. But I don't want anyone else hurt."

Her fear was real then. This was real. As she watched, completely helpless, a young boy was suffering. And if her eyes weren't lying it was his brother who had to wait it out as well. It couldn't have been a minute but it felt like an eternity when the younger boys back arched in pain and a gurgling chilling scream ripped through the hall.

"**THAT'S IT**_**"**_ The elder boy bellowed and he clapped his hands together leaning in to touch his brother.

"ED! NO!" Mustang yelled as he attempted to tackle Ed to the ground before he touched Al. He was a second too late. Just as Ed's hands touched Al's shoulders the general was thrown back a few feet getting the wind knocked out of him.

The diminutive blond and his brother seemed frozen in time even the sparks had paused and a barrier of opaque fog that seemed to trouble Mustang prevented anyone from touching the two while they were in that state. He sighed out of fear and frustration. All there was now was to wait and see what kind of shape the two came back in.

The people around him would demand answers he could dance around some of the more important matters while trying to, well explain this. Lupin was the first to gather his wits, Mustang liked him if he could judge from face value the man was a fair bit sharper than a good portion of the others.

He answered the questions on autopilot. Alchemy the boys the shadows gate… STOP. Lies flowed like silk from his tongue when called for but his mind wandered behind his mask.

Since the promised day the two boys have shared a gate so he sincerely doubted the type of failure from the past but he also knew how rash Ed could be he never had gotten the full story of how he'd lost his gate in the first place. He was going to stop thinking. He would simply wait and hope, but never again.

He sighed again. It wouldn't be to long now anyway.


	2. Solution

Ed opened his eyes to an expanse of familiar white and groaned. Maybe if he closed his eyes it would all go away. Then in a rush everything came back with the ferocity of a cracked whip and he scrambled up to search for his brother. He was not ten feet away breathing heavily in the white fog.

Al was coated in a fine sheen of sweat blood flowed from the corner of his mouth and his clothes were speckled with the crimson substance.

Ed rolled him on his back rested his automail palm on his brothers feverish cheek. Al unconsciously winced away from the icy touch and Ed sighed, how could he blame his brother. He was probably freezing. Al's eyes opened and he heaved a stuttering breath. He removed his hands from their claw like position against his chest.

"Ed?" he rasped "what?"

Ed smiled wanly. "It was my turn to panic. You were coughing up blood and then you started screaming so I decided to come to the gate and make it tell us what's going on with all this shit."

Al looked confused "I don't…" he coughed and Ed sat him up rubbing his back as more blood pooled in Al's hand.

"Come on Al…" Ed said putting his brothers' arm over his shoulder and helped him stand.

They found the gateway and the in front of it stood the two usually amorphous beings the only differences in them being one had a flesh arm and leg and the other had a disconcerting array of shadowing in its chest.

"It seems your back already." the two beings said together

Ed seethed "what are you doing to Al?"

Ed's gatekeeper widened his Cheshire grin but it was Alphonse's that answered.

"It was the price of your transmutation."

Al's eyes widened in shock.

"How? Why? The calculations were perfect what didn't I account for?"

"The soul." came the response.

Al hung his head and Ed tried to find something to say when suddenly Al began to laugh.

Ed looked stricken as his brother pushed off him. To him this looked like it might be his brother's last straw. But when Al once again looked up, there was fire in his green-gold eyes.

"Here is where you're wrong." Al said earning a surprised look from Ed "There is no need to calculate for a soul in a simple mass displacement transmutation. The soul will follow and return to its body on its own regardless of distance or transport means. You taught me that yourself."

The grin on the gates face began to fall. The shadows disappearing from the gatekeeper and as the gate faded two sentences hung in the air.

"There is much you need to do here. They can heal your brother with Dittany"

The white world collapsed.

General Mustang jumped to his feet as a flash of white light lit up the hall and the sound of coughing could be heard.

"Ed? Al?"

"Roy!"

_That was Ed_, Mustang thought but he sounded terrified.

The light finally cleared and what mustang saw made his heart miss a beat.

Ed was on the floor smeared with blood old and new and holding Al close to him. Al was consumed in a fit of coughing that brought enough blood to his mouth that rivulets ran down from the corners.

Mustang had only realized his inaction when Ed spoke again this time the desperation in his voice had a clear cut cause.

"Roy! Please! The gate said that Al needs something called dittany! We have to get it please!"

At the name of the familiar potion Molly was awoken from her stupor. As were most of the other order members and while Lupin said something about finding a snake. Molly and Roy rushed forward to help Ed calm Al down.

Then the questions started. Most pertained to alchemy and a few asked about things the boys didn't understand at all.

At this point Molly realized that the two boys _were_ in some form of army and that they were being treated like death eaters by the order and she'd had enough.

"I've had enough of your questions you lot if u've nothing better to do than pester the poor boy then go help Remus!"

Ed gave her a grateful look but it quickly filled with fear as Al's panting turned back into coughing.

Al's eyes were heavy lidded and unseeing as molly gently extracted him from Edwards viselike grip and instead lifted him and carried him to the nearest room with Ed and Roy following like ducks. She laid him down on the bed and covered him in a blanket.

Tonks came in and asked Molly what she could do and to that Molly bid her fetch a bowl of warm water and some towels. When Tonks came back Molly began the gentle work of washing off the blood from his lips.

Ed remained next to the bed holding Al's hand and attempting to coax him into a even breathing cycle while Roy kept his vigil at the foot of the bed.

After a few minutes of waiting a greasy haired man strode into the room with a vial in his hand. He looked the three up and down sneered, causing Roy and Ed to tense, and proceeded to walk over to Molly handing her the vial with nothing more than an, "I take it you can handle the rest?" and strode back out. Ed, though, was too scared to be angry for long and he watched closely as Molly poured the contents of the vial into Al's mouth then rubbed his throat gently to make him swallow.

The effect was instantaneous. Al's breathing hitched turning to panting before leveling out as his eyes fluttered shut. Ed though panicked.

"Al? Are you okay? Hey Al answer me!"

Molly took pity on him and informed him on his brothers' situation. "The potion puts the person to sleep to do the must painful part of the healing. He likely won't wake till morning dear."

Ed's head hung. "Is… is he going to be okay?" Mustang came around to put his hand on Ed's shoulder.

"I'm sure he will be dear."

"I owe you a life."

"That's ridiculous I'm just glad we could help."

"I'm an alchemist I don't let a debt slide." Molly was cowed by the determination she saw in his eyes.

"If you're going to insist. I… please watch over harry he's our one hope."

Ed's eyes found their fire

"I will."

The golden trio watched as the hall door closed and Mrs. Weasly and the three strangers disappeared into the room. The rest of the order ran around in an apparent panicked flurry for 'the essence of dittany' for the youngest of the strange group.

They closed the door and huddled up on Ron's bed to do what they do best… snoop.

"So? What do you think got'em splinched?" Ron asked

Hermione looked exasperated "goodness Ron. Do you never listen? They didn't even know what splinching was. Has it even crossed your mind that they're muggles?"

"But they came through the flo network" Harry interjected

"Harry..." Hermione said, her tone expressing infinite patience. "Many Muggles through history have stumbled into the flo network simply by accident. It really wouldn't be all that surprising that they have as well."

Harry blushed "oh."

Hermione's mind seemed to wonder. "I do hope he's alright there was an awful lot of blood"

Harry's blush took on an angrier hue "Well it's not like anyone in the order is going to tell us anything."

Hermione pulled a face "Come on Harry. We discussed this. It wasn't like we, or anyone else for that matter, were allowed to tell you anything and it was for your own good."

Harry's face twisted. "The bloody hell it was! How is half the story supposed to help anything?"

Ron spoke up "Cus' mate. They know how you get. Runin' inta things without a thought. Wat'd you do if they did tell ya' evrythin?'"

Harry looked appropriately cowed "I don't know but its better than sitting here doing nothing while Voldamorts on the loose!"

Ron and Hermione shivered. Then there were simultaneous pops and Fred and George were sitting on either side of Harry. The three were startled out of their wits.

"Oi not on about that again?" came from George.

"Ehh seems like enough George." was Fred's response.

Hermione tried regaining her composer "If you to get caught doing that by your mother I'd hate to see the states you two would be in when she was through with you."

Just then there was a tentative knock on the door. Before a response to it was issued though, Ginny's voice filtered through the thick wood.  
"Hermione mum sent off for tea. Care to help me with the tray?"

Hermione got up and glared pointedly at the group of boys as she left the room.

"Who's this for again Ginny?" Hermione asked

"Mum just called them guests. But I'm guessing it's for the other two."

Hermione gave a noncommittal hum as Ginny knocked on the door.

From inside there was an instant "Come in dear" form Molly Weasly, and the two pushed the door open silently.

Molly's eyes widened slightly in surprise at Hermione's presence but thanked her for her help nonetheless.

The girl's eyes though could only stay on Molly for so long. They had never seen the type of clothing the men wore, even in the wizarding world. And, Hermione noted, there outfits were distinctly military and the two older men were of a very high rank for their apparent ages.

Molly decided to bring the piece before the girls caught attention with their staring.

"Boys this is my daughter Ginny and her friend Hermione."

The man at the foot of the bed looked up and met their eyes in turn. His features were weary but he schooled them into an impassive mask before straightening up and forcing out.

"It is a pleasure I am Brigadier General Roy Mustang the Flame alchemist…." And continuing the introductions for the other two.

He took part in what seemed like forced pleasantries to the two girls and taking note that the two conscious males wanted little part in their attempts at conversation they excused themselves.

It was a while before Molly was content with the state of the three Amestrians and excused herself to make dinner with a promise to fetch them when it was ready. Roy stood vigil leaning the foot of the bed and Ed seemed quite unable to tear himself from his brother's side.

"Ed…" Roy started

"I told him not to."

There were three stages of Elric anger, the first was the loud flailing usually non-violent one, the second was the equally loud but extraordinarily more deadly for those who incited it, the third stage was the most dangerous and hard to predict because Edward Elric became very very quiet.

The short phrase had been spoken in the quiet monotonous tone that he fell into when he was well past stage two.

"I told him it was too early. That we should wait. Well it wasn't the mass destruction I had anticipated but it's pretty damn up there." His breath left him in a shaky huff "I don't blame him. For any of this Roy. Ever since the promised day it's been hard for us to control alchemical reactions. Al thinks it's because we share a gate. He could be right."

"Probably is. You don't give your brother enough credit, but I don't like the position we're in right now." Roy ran his hands through his hair causing it to stand up at odd angles.

Ed nodded his head in understanding "yea me either. There fighting style is foreign as well as their world. And now above all else I've indebted myself to them. This sucks." He allowed his head to hit the nightstand with a loud "thunk".

Mustang winced and made to move towards him. At least the anger was gone. Just then there was a tentative knock on the door, and a voice filtered through the thick wood. "Dinners ready if you want me to show you the way" one look at Ed and Mustang knew he would be going alone. Ed waved him off and Mustang left with a promise to bring food back.

He opened the door to a grinning Sirius Black. Mustang offered a wan smile in return.

"No one else?"

"Ed wouldn't leave his brothers side if the world was on fire. I will have to suffice"

"Well let's get you going before molly comes for you herself."

"Should that idea worry me?" Roy asked with a smirk.

"Not worry per say but Molly, for reasons I cannot fathom, seems to be under the impression that everyone who enters this house is perpetually five years old''

Roy could only chuckle as they entered through the small doorway that led to the kitchen. The quiet din that had permeated the room ceased. All eyes seemed to be trained on him and only Sirius' insistent hand on his arm dragging him to the seat next to Lupin and himself kept him from going back to the rooms he shared with Ed and Al.

Dinner was uneventful by Roy's standards but these people had big shoes to fill when one thought of the late Hughes and his family along with the Elrics. After they had eaten their fill Molly brushed off all his offers to help with the cleanup and sent him back upstairs with a tray of food for Ed and soup for Al if he awoke. As he walked up the stairs though, Lupin intercepted him holding three letters.

"Mr. Mustang these just came for you and the boys" he paused glancing at them "they're from Dumbledore"

"Oh?" Roy adjusted the tray so it was balanced on one arm "I'll take them up with me thank you."

Roy watched as Lupin opened and closed his mouth several times seeming to be struggling with something he wanted to say before he simply turned and walked away whatever he needed to get out unsaid. Roy shook his head as well and quickened his pace.

He had a feeling Ed wasn't going to like whatever was in the letters. Stopping in front of their shared room he juggled the tray in one hand and tucked Ed and Al's letters into the pocket inside his jacket to keep them safe. At least until the younger Elric woke up, then there would be a slight chance of survival for those even lightly associated with the contents of the letter.

Come morning, after a night of tossing and turning, as well as switching watch over Al with Ed, Roy was strung thin. Ed was sitting on the floor torso on the bed curled up on Al's arm. They seemed to be fast asleep and Roy thought it would be as good a time as any to take a look at the letter from Dumbledore so he could at least fend off the hurricane when it arrived in the form of a pint sized alchemist. He fished out the one addressed to him, opened it and began to read its contents one part amusement and two parts confusion:

_Dear Gen. Roy Mustang_

_ I am pleased to inform you of a possible position in our school, _

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry _

_ Your job should you choose to accept It, would require you to protect _

_ the school against any and all threats. I have asked Col. Elric to assist _

_you in this. I have also offered the young Major Elric a job as an alchemy_

_/combat teacher if he so pleases. I would like to inform you of our schools_

_extensive library and inform you that, should you choose to accept my offer, I_

_would be more than willing to aid in your search for a way back home should _

_you wish to conduct one. I will be by later tomorrow to receive your answer._

_ Yours_

_ Headmaster Albus Dumbledore _

Roy stared at the letter. And stared. He continued to stare in the hopes that the words 'vast library' would move very far away from the much more daunting and crazy words 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry', preferably off the same page. And the two letters were the same. He absently patted them. The word 'Library' would ensnare the moronic blonds regardless of what he had to say on the matter.

"Is everything alright general?" The quiet voice of Alphonse startled him so badly he nearly fell from his perch on the chair.

"Alphonse? The hell are you asking about me for? How are you feeling?" His voice was loud, laced with concern usually kept under a well formed mask and he looked over at the elder brother to see if he had woken with all the noise he had made.

"I feel fine sir." Al replied sitting up, detangling his arm from his brother with a fond look. He nodded his head to the letter now crumpled in Mustangs hand "I was just wondering what's got you so spooked?"

Roy smoothed the letter straight and looked down at the words like they could bite. "They want me to work in their crackpot magic school."

Alphonse had the decency to "pfft" at his predicament before mustang pulled out an identical letter.

Al recognized his name on the front.

"Oh no." the boy said

"Oh yes" mustang replied tossing the square."I get off as a guard dog but he wants _you _to teach." Roy said as the boy began devouring the contents of the letter.

"WHAT?"The boy shrieked. Mustang tried to cover his mouth, but it was too late. No sooner was it out that a gold whirlwind seemed to engulf the larger boy.

"Al! Are you alright? Are you in pain? What's wrong?"

"Air… would be nice" the younger boy wheezed through his brothers strangle hold.

Ed let go immediately. In exchange for patting him down, and staring wide eyed, waiting for an answer to his questions. 

"Brother really I'm fine you have nothing to worry about."

"Really?"

Al sighed exasperated "Yes really!"

"Are you hungry?"

"Are you?"

Ed's stomach answered for itself. And he clambered off the bed.

"Do you want to try going down to eat with the rest of them Al?"

"I might as well Brother I'll be working with some of them soon anyway."

Ed's head snapped around so fast it nearly gave him whiplash.

Roy responded first though "You're going to accept?"

"Well… yes it's our best plan and we can always leave."

"True."

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TWO TALKING ABOUT?"

"Language fullmetal"

"We were offered jobs brother, by Mr. Dumbledore, you were as well."

Mustang handed over the letter waiting as Ed read it remaining surprisingly calm.

Then he folded up the parchment placing it in his jacket pocket and nodded to himself.

"Equivalent Exchange, he must have gotten word of my arrangement with Molly"

His brother got suspicious. "What arrangement?"

"In return for saving your life and housing us I suppose, I would watch over their Potter boy."

"Brother I never got to… I mean I'm…" Al started, looking down.

"What's done is done Al there's no need." Ed then smirked ruffling his short blond locks fondly "Now can you get up I'm starved."

Molly and Ginny where just putting the finishing touches on breakfast when the three entered having cleaned up their clothes alchemically.

"Good morning dears!" Molly said cheerfully "Please take a seat we'll be right there with the food and settings."

Ed and Al ignored her with small grins and went to the glass cabinet they saw housing the plates and silverware. Then one taking each began to set the table. Roy hardly missing a beat fetched the glasses. Molly stared openmouthed along with her daughter before collecting herself.

"Oh no dears please let us do that you're the guests."

Ed spoke up first "As if you could call us guests"

Roy translated "Excuse him the gate took his social skills in return for the ability to innately annoy those in power. But please if it's all the same to you at least allow us this favor to you in return for the meal"

"I… I couldn't… I oh… if you insist thank you very much." She seemed to be trying to hide her smile under her disapproving look but the three pointedly ignored her. When they had finished each of their respective jobs they began setting out the food before Molly could even think to voice her protests.

After a while she began idly watching them and she realized something peculiar about the way the three moved. They never seemed to get in each other's way. Even when they looked seconds from hitting into each other one would simple step out of the way without even seeming to realize they had done it. They were just putting the last items on the table when people started trickling into the room. This time however there was more talk after the kids had been properly introduced.

Apparently everyone had gotten letters from Dumbledore and it had included a list of items and a newsletter about a new elective.

"I wonder who'll be teaching it." Hermione asked already planning on taking the class .

"Teaching what?" Harry asked.

"Alchemy and defensive strategy" Hermione replied as if she were speaking to a lower life form.

"Oh. That would be me." Alphonse piped up from his end of the table.

"Really?" Hermione asked in wonder.

Molly spoke up, "When did this happen dear?"

Al looked down embarrassed.

"All of us got job offers from the old man yesterday" Ed replied not even looking up from his plate.

"Brother! Be polite!" Al hissed and Ed shrugged as though he couldn't feel the weight of the stares.

Harry cleared his throat, "Well what are you going to be teaching in class Mr. Elric?"

Al made a disgusted face. "Please. Al is fine, and I'm not sure. I guess I'll have to talk to Dumbledore about that." He laughed at himself and the looks the others gave him.

He was saved further explanation though by a knock at the door. Lupin and Sirius got up and took out their wands. A sign that Ed was beginning to understand was a nervous reaction to possible danger.

"Expecting trouble?" he asked.

Sirius attempted a grin. "Not really but best be ready for it anyway."

"Then I'll come as well."

They seemed about to protest but relented and he took rear.

Ed felt that finding Dumbledore on the other side of the door was relatively anticlimactic and went back to the other room without sparing the man a second glance. Dumbledore and the others followed soon after and greetings ensued.

He then turned his attention to the three Amstrians. "I trust you have made your choices?"

Roy replied for all of them "We all accept your offer and would be happy to discuss details at your earliest convenience Mr. Dumbledore."

Dumbledore clapped his hands together, causing the Amestrians to flinch almost imperceptivity, and his eyes twinkled "Wonderful then would you mind accompanying me for a short trip?"

The trip was not short as Dumbledore had promised but took up the rest of the day. The day's excursions included buying new clothes, all of them balked at the very idea of robes sticking with plain clothes. Informing Al he could own a cat, if he so desired, which started a fight which surprisingly Al lost. Buying chalk and raw materials for Al's class. Meeting Mr. Olivander, who asked Dumbledore why he brought muggles into his shop to the confusion of the three. And taking a tour of Hogwarts which only served to convince Ed it was a maze.

The three flopped gratefully into their beds and hardly said goodnight to each other before they fell into sleep.

The rest of the week leading up to the departing of the Hogwarts express was relatively uneventful. Most of it was spent going over a magical map of the school that Harry had lent them, while Sirius and Lupin worked on making one that would work only for the Amestrians. But the three officers were getting cabin fever from the lack of activity in Grimwald place other than the occasional outburst from the portrait of Sirius' mother.

Ed sighed and rubbed at his eyes glaring at the map "This place is a maze."

"It's a school Brother."

"No it's defiantly a maze."

Al sighed "It's a school."

"Shit moves. It's a maze."

"It's a _school._"

"Maze."

"School."

"Maze."

"I teach there that makes it a school."

"That just makes you stupid."

With that Al lost his patience with his brother and threw the piece of chalk he'd been using at Ed's head. Ed ducked, though, and it passed safely over.

Al smirked maliciously. "I guess I need more practice. You do make such a small target after all."

A dark aura surrounded Ed. "What did you say Al?"

"Nothing brother. You know it's kinda hard to see you from over here are you sure you're not…"

Al wasn't able to finish his sentence because a golden blur tackled him from his bed and knocked him to the floor. Al's smirk widened this was exactly the reaction he'd been expecting and his brother did not disappoint. Ed wrestled him down and placed his metal knee on his stomach.

"I'm sorry Al what was that?" Ed asked sweetly

Al seized his chance, Ed wasn't paying his full attention to him, and it would be only too easy to get free. He bucked up sharply and Ed went sprawling. They exchanged blows for a bit until Ed kicked Al against the bed. There were two claps and in a flash of blue Al was holding an iron bo transmuted from the bedpost and Ed's signature automail blade was out at the ready. Then twin grins were flashed and the spar began.

Roy knew he shouldn't have left the room. Not with the two boys as keyed up as they were, but they had refused his offer to accompany him to lunch and it wasn't something he was willing to fight with the over. So he had left in the hopes of being able to postpone the pending outburst he was feeling more and more prone to make about Ed's lack of stature or Al's girly nature to get a rise out of either. In the kitchen Sirius and Lupin were sitting arguing over something on a piece of paper but he figured it had to do with magic seeing as the words muggle and transfiguration seemed to be flying everywhere. They looked startled at his entrance.

Lupin was the first to recover and he informed him Molly had left lunch out on the counter. He grabbed a sandwich and a mug filled with the morning's coffee before joining the still arguing friends. Sirius though found it amusing that Roy had chosen the cold coffee and decided to call him on it.

"How can you drink coffee cold? I don't get how Moony even drinks it when it's hot." Sirius made a face.

"I'm going to warm it of course." Roy replied coolly trying not to sound condescending.

"How? I thought you were a muggle?"

"You have yet to inform me of the meaning of the word muggle so I can't say, as to the first question though I will use alchemy of course." Roy looked smug at their confused faces.

"A muggle is someone non-magic, meaning they have no magic in their blood and can't perform the art." Lupin said and couldn't help himself but ask "I remember you were taking about alchemy the day we met" Roy raised an eyebrow but kept his peace as Sirius sniggered "I didn't think it was practiced anymore. Can you show me?"

"Sure, but I'm curious to see if our two alchemies' will be the same."

Roy lifted his hand poised to snap and realized in the recesses of his mind that his mask had fallen back into place. Then he concentrated on the molecules in the air and after forming the proper equation in his mind. Snapped sharp and precise.

The two men flinched involuntarily and then the cup was engulfed in flame. It lasted mere seconds then any trace of the fire was gone and only a steaming mug of coffee remained.

"That was incredible!" Lupin said as Roy lifted the mug to his lips.

"Those boys upstairs are better than me." Roy said with a smirk.

"Better than that?" Sirius spluttered, "But your there superior."

"Only because I recruited them and gained their loyalty. Though Ed will never admit it…" Roy replied with fondness.

"I'm not even sure I want to know what you're capable of. You gave me the impression of being able to do something like that in you sleep." Lupin said, slightly more controlled than his best friend.

Roy laughed "Not quite, but close. I learned that when I was young to help my mother with the cooking. My master was not pleased. He thought I was defiling some sacred art."

"I'd believe it if you hadn't already informed me otherwise. The fire we can summon holds nothing to that."

"You can summon fire with your magic" Roy still didn't know how he liked the sound of the word on his tongue but he would deal until he could prove otherwise.

Nodding he took out his want and said "_Incendio"_

A small flame hovered over the tip of his wand and he continued speaking "I can make it larger or smaller as I please but it doesn't have the same presence as yours had."

Roy inspected the fire more closely before he realized something "It's not actual fire."

"Please genius touch it genius, prove us wrong." Sirius said sardonically.

"Sirius…"Lupin warned. Sirius shrugged him off. "I do apologies for him. Please explain."

"What I meant was, it has the appearance of real fire, but in truth the molecules are simply vibrating at an incredibly fast pace allowing anything it touches to catch fire and for light to be emitted. I could explain more but it would take a more detailed knowledge of physics and alchemy."

Lupin looked intrigued and Sirius looked lost but he was saved further explanation by Harry coming downstairs looking uncomfortable.

"Harry." Sirius greeted immediately, then registering his godsons expression asked. "Harry, what is it?"

Harry looked around but his eyes fixed on Roy "Um… Mr. Mustang I just wanted to make sure everything was alright there was an awful lot of crashing and yelling coming from the professors' room upstairs"

It took Roy a minute to understand he meant Ed and Al's room. "Shit" he cursed "I knew I shouldn't have left them alone."

He rose from the table and marched up the stairs barely taking note of the people following him. As he approached the room though, he heard the telltale signs of an all out battle going on between the two. He hesitated going in not quite sure if he was going to risk getting alchemically ripped apart by one of the boys by accident. That was until he heard the clangs and clinks of a close quarters fight and opened the door.

Roy sighed as the group behind him gasped. The two were dancing around with their transmuted weapons as if it were normal to try and beat your brother senseless/chop him to bits. Roy was just happy they were t least past the yelling stage.

Roy took two steps into the room. Raised his hand, and snapped.

The boys ducked-and-covered. Nothing happened.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT BASTARD?" Ed yelled, rising to his feet.

"Language Ed." Was Roy's reply, despite the sniggering he heard from behind him.

"General Mustang that wasn't funny." Al said. Though, from his seat panting on the floor he was indeed shaking lightly with laughter.

"AL YOU'RE ENCOURAGING HIM!" Ed yelled.

"FULLMETAL STOP YELLING" Mustang said. His own voice raised.

"FILTHY MUGGLE TRASH IN MY HOME. LET ALONE THE DIRTY MUDBLOODS!"

Sirius looked more annoyed at the interruption than at the men who caused his mother to wake up, as he grumbled and went to once again close the curtain on the portrait of his mother.

"Sirius!" Ed called, halting him in his tracks. "Please allow me. This is a trick I learned from a friend a long time ago."

Sirius moved over on the stairs and allowed Ed by. Ed stood in front of the painting smirking at her still screeching form.

"I will be only too happy to see you gone."

Ed clapped his hands and placed them on the painting. Red lightning arched from his hands and with a resounding boom the hallway was filled with dust and debris.

When the dust cleared the wizards stood in shock at the sight before them. Where the painting used to be was now just a cleaner patch of wallpaper.

Sirius looked about ready to hug the short blond "We tried everything…"

As the remnants of the house gathered plans were being made for a celebration. Tomorrow they were leaving for Hogwarts. They were one step closer.


	3. Separation

The three alchemists seemed to be the only ones at ease during the drive to the train station and the walk to the platform. They promptly lost their fronts though when they were told to run into a wall.

"Now dears you just run strait at the wall and you don't stop until you reach the other side"

Roy gave Molly an un-amused look.

Molly took the hint "All right you lot. Who wants to go first?"

Roy was astounded when the group took turns running through the wall but he was confident his masks hid any of his surprise from the group same as Ed and Al only showed the barest interest. Then it was their turn but before they could go Lupin stopped them and handed him an old looking piece of parchment with a plain circle inscribed on the top.

"It's a map." he explained. "Like the one Sirius and Harry showed you, but this one's for you. Put fire in the circle to open it. Not magic fire, real fire there's no other way. Now get going or you'll be late"

"Thank you." Roy said. And Lupin inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"Keep him safe."

"We will." and Roy disappeared through the wall.

Despite Ed's protests the three alchemists were once again in full military garb.

That being the case, when the group got off the train the three Amestrians were immediately spotted by professor Snape who shepherded them off to what looked like a side path and told to follow it till they found a door where they would find Dumbledore. Not one of them liked the option but they didn't really have an alternative seeing as how the platform was now deserted.

They got walking. It only took a few minutes' to reach the castle and when they got there the door Snape had spoken about opened and Dumbledore's voice beckoned them inside. Ed was mumbling some obscenities about smoke and mirrors and Mustang was feeling more and more inclined to agree with him. Al decided to speak before either of the two rather impulsive gentlemen he was with.

"Hello sir. The professor told us you wished to see us?"

"Yes dear boy. I merely forgot to tell you about classes students, and room arrangements."

"Oh! Yes sir."

Dumbledore chuckled handing Al a packet. "The staff table is where you can find your seats for meals as well and I hope you can find the great hall in time for the feast. As for your rooms the map Remus provided should now be labeled accordingly."

Roy's eyebrows went up in comprehension as he took the map from an inside pocket of his uniform. Then holding the page with one hand he snapped. The boys rushed forward coming to the obvious conclusion that Roy had lost his mind but as the flames touched the paper the circle glowed and the map appeared. He allowed the transmutation to dissolve. They found their rooms. Roy's was on the opposite side of the castle from Ed and Al's whose were next to each other's, above Al's classroom. This made sense though, seeing as they would be patrolling the castle, that they should be on opposite sides to cover more ground.

They thanked Dumbledore who told them to leave their luggage and it would be moved to their rooms, and headed down to the great hall. The Amestrians had to make the valiant effort not to stare at the ceiling and draw undue attention to themselves. They nodded to the kids they knew and took the empty seats at the staff table and wondered how Dumbledore had beat them there.

When all the students had taken their seats a stool was set up and a hat placed on top. Then a stern looking woman who reminded the soldiers of an older version of Hawkeye led a group of kids into the room. Then something happened that made their blood run cold.

The hat moved. At first it merely shook itself. But then it began to talk. Then sing. And when it finished Al could contain himself no longer.

"Mr. Dumbledore… WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" There were angry tears in his eyes and he shook with suppressed emotion.

"My dear boy what…" Dumbledore began

"You bonded a HUMAN SOUL to a HAT!" Al was surprised with himself. He never lost it like this that was Ed's area of expertise.

Then the hat spoke again. "That's a mighty intelligent one you've picked up Dumbledore. But he's got it wrong I made _myself_ like this. It wasn't on purpose of coarse but it was the first thing my soul found after…"

Al shivered at the implication of the gate. He ran out and after a quick glance to and nod from mustang, Ed followed him.

It was later that night after the feast that Roy came to Al's room to see how the boys were doing. Two cups of warm coffee in tow.

By the looks of it though, two reminders in two weeks of everything that had happened in their lives was not best for their health. Al looked pale and shaken and Ed had regained his untouchable aura that had diminished after the retrieval of his brother's body.

Roy placed the mugs on the small table the boys were sitting at. No milk for Ed, milk and sugar for Al.

"I just came to say goodnight and to warn you their government has a place in their school let's do what we can to stay off their radar alright?"

"Yes sir." Was Al's answer, while Ed merely grunted in response.

Roy left things as they were unwilling to chance breaking the thin trust they had achieved and vowed to protect the boys as he used to.

"Thanks Roy." Was the last grudging response he got as he closed the door.

Ed, Al, and Mustang met in the agreed-upon corridor to plan the day's excursions. Which truly didn't include much seeing as they wanted to scope out the people here before they moved onto terrain.

Al had class's period and 7 all off periods would be spent on research for a non-magical way home. Ed and Roy on the other hand would sit in on other classes to see what could be useful. They were going to say there to learn about their coworkers. They had agreed on who they wanted to stalk until they realized neither of them had chose Umbridge or Snape. So Ed flipped for it heads Snape tails Umbridge.

It was tails…

All of his classes had gone fine. The teachers were smart and quite willing to accommodate or help him if he needed it, but this woman. If she could even be called that made his skin crawl. She reminded him of an ugly pink female version of Jelso. And her voice… he wondered if she would notice if he left...

"Excuse me Mr.?"

Shit when did she get there?

"Elric"

"Ah yes Mr. Elric why are you out of uniform?"

"Are you implying I'm small enough to be a student?"

"You're not?"

"No I'm not. I'm a guard, but I'm getting a feel for the teachers here evaluating their strengths and abilities."

"Ah well I'm not sure I like your presence in my classroom the students will get distracted."

"I assure you I won't cause trouble."

"I seem to remember something at dinner last night?"

"I would appreciate it if you left my brother out of this. If you so much as breathe his name in the wrong tone I won't hesitate to mark you down as a threat to the school."

"Ah yes." she wrote something on her clip board "carry on."

Her class was awful Ed decided there was no point in even going. That was until Harry spoke up.

"Well if we're going to be attacked it's not exactly going to be risk free."

"Who would want to attack children?"

"Oh I don't know maybe lord Voldamort."

Gasps went around the room. Ed sniggered at the unfamiliar name.

"You have been told that a certain dark wizard had returned. This. Is. A. lie."

"It's not a lie I saw him."

"Detention Mr. Potter"

Ed spoke up "Hey now. I don't know who this moldy-whats-it guy is so I can't say. But even if he is lying what's it matter to you he's a kid. Act your damn age not your shoe size. God, its part of being in school to gossip."

The class stared at him in wonder.

"Mr. Elric I would ask you to keep further comments to yourself and Mr. Potter so long as there are no further outbursts your detention is rescinded."

Ed had to fight back a smile at how completely miffed she looked.

News got around fast of how Ed stood up to Umbridge and the students where hailing him as a hero.

"Nice going Fullmetal. I tell you to stay out from under the military's radar and what do you do? You mouth of to one of their dogs. Why am I even surprised."

"I don't like the vibe I get from her. She tried to threaten me with Al the first conversation we had…"

"Well it's too late to worry about it now any way. Let's go find Alphonse and go eat."

They found Al in the library, surrounded by books, and seemingly oblivious to their presence, engrossed as he was in his researching.

Ed's eyes locked on their prey. As he stalked his prey he lifted a large tome off a shelf as he passed it and readied it above his head. Coming to stand beside his, still unsuspecting, prey he slammed the large book on the table. Thus effectively ending the hunt.

"Shit Ed!" Al hissed, staring wide eyed at his brother.

Ed only had the presence of mind to jump away before his brother's countenance changed and he attempted to pounce on his brother.

"Ed… one of these days I'm going to kill you" Al's voice was so sweet it caused both Ed and Roy to shiver.

The impending argument was stilled though as Madam Prince walked by and gave them all a look that threatened a fate worse than death by Al if they did not quiet down. They heeded her warning and sat quickly closing their mouths. The librarian nodded and walked away.

"I all of a sudden have an extreme longing for Sheska"

"You just miss your allusions to power u believed you held"

Al narrowed his eyes "Don't you two start."

Ed brightened remembering the reason for their visit at the sound of his brother's voice "So Al found anything useful yet?"

"Yes actually I've found that these people weren't lying."

After looking at the two elder men's confused looks he elaborated.

"They really believe their using magic; and what's worse is they have no idea how it works. They just go around messing with the natural order of things with no respect for the law of equivalent exchange."

Ed ground his teeth in frustration. "There must be something for it Al if alchemy works here as well as the gate that means their evasion of equivalent exchange is an illusion. Their paying for it somehow…"

Ed trailed off as Harry and co. ran up to them. Al greeted them warmly and asked them what they needed.

"A psychological evaluation perhaps." Ed muttered to Roy's amusement and Al's chagrin.

"Brother! I apologize for him I think the gate took part of his brain the last time we were there."

"Oh you do, do you? Coming from the one who got us transported to another world, might I add by accident. Hmm?"

"Boys were in the presence of some quite impressionable young adults perhaps this argument is better suited for later."

Both boys glared first at Roy then at each other before relenting and once again paying attention to the trio of kids that had landed them their positions in the school.

"So what was it you needed?" Al asked his tone friendly as ever.

Hermione spoke up "Dumbledore wishes to speak with us as well as the three of you. We weren't told why though"

Ed weighed the pro's and con's or knocking all present out and hiding the bodies while pretending not to have received the message for a little while before he remembered his promise to Molly and gave in with a sigh.

"Alright lead the way."

Both parties were mildly astounded and suspicious of the act of easy compliance from the one they were ready to drag across the castle to Dumbledore's in the event of his refusal. The suspicion didn't abate until they were all the way to the gargoyle where after saying the password he stormed up the stairs as only Ed could to. After which the reason for Ed's easy agreement was evident by the screaming heard from the bottom of the stairs as Ed verbally accosted Dumbledore for every nuance he had encountered since entering the strange world. The others didn't bother rushing up to save Dumbledore they had a feeling he was amused by the tirade but as they rounded the top steps into the room and could make out Ed's now quieter but no less urgent tone they had a feeling they had been wrong.

"Where is it?" Ed hissed his fingers digging into the wood of the desk he gripped in his hands.

Dumbledore looked perplexed by the change in tone but, no less amused then he had obviously been by the first part of the rant, asked "Where is what dear boy?"

"The philosopher's stone." Ed growled.

"Destroyed." was Dumbledore's quick reply.

Ed managed to somehow, against all odds, remain calm as he answered. "A philosopher's stone can't be destroyed old man it's made of pure energy. Energy can only be traded or transferred."

Dumbledore stood and stared deep into the eyes off the six people in the room and, nodding to himself in what almost seemed like resignation, spoke again. "Harry close the door."

Harry wasted no time in doing as he was bid and as he turned back from securing the latch Dumbledore turned and retrieved a familiar object to the three students. He waved a hand over the hilt of the sword revealing a large irregularly faceted red stone. Then removing it from the metal casing he placed the glowing red nightmare on his desk as if it were no less ordinary than a sheaf of paper.

The alchemists stepped back as if they were burned by the stones very presence.

"You. Sick. Fuck." Al looked sharply at Ed, Ed looked sharply at Roy, and Roy kept his unnervingly dark steadfast gaze trained on Dumbledore.

Dumbledore looked mildly confused by the turn of events "I beg your pardon."

"Do you understand _Mr. Dumbledore" _Roy began obvious scorn in his voice "what the main ingredient is in making a philosophers stone _is_?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No dear boy. I am merely aware that it takes massive amounts of energy to create one and that that one there was created during the war with Grindlewald."

Ed looked sickened. "Was it a bloody war? Were many lives lost?"

Dumbledore seemed wary of the change in topic. "Yes it nearly wiped out the wizarding world as well as a lot of muggle towns as well."

"Was this Grindlewald guy aware of the philosophers stone?"

"Yes"

"Was he aware of how it was made?"

"He and Nickolas drafted it I believe."

"Fuck."

"Edward would you please expand on that deduction for those of us who lack the key to decode your dialect and or the inherent knowledge of the subject we happen to be discussing."

Ed glared at the old wizard for nearly a minute before answering "human lives old man," Ed took a deep breath "the philosopher stone requires the soul energy of a masse quantity of lives. If this Grindlewald really started the genocide you claim. The reason he did it was likely because he found out the ingredients for the stone."

Dumbledore's eyes looked haunted by the information. "That is a piece of information I believe I would have rather have lived in ignorance of"

Harry looked ready to be sick and Ed wondered if harry had been in contact with or used the stone before hearing the information. "That stone is made of human souls?"

Ed nodded mutely.

Harry dragged his eyes from the stone at long last and his eyes showed suspicion and barely suppressed disgust.

"Explain. How do you know all this?" harry demanded "It sounds like you speak from experience."

Ed's eyes blazed "And if I do?"

Roy placed a hand on his shoulder. "If you didn't already know we are from a land called Amestris." Roy hung his head "And one of its greatest accomplishments to date is the philosophers stone."

Harry though refused to take this as the whole truth. Which it wasn't.

"And how do you know about it?"

Roy spoke again. "Mr. Potter as alchemists we work by the principal of equivalent exchange. I take it you know what that means?" when they nodded Al jumped on Roy's train of thought eagerly.

"For every question we answer well ask one of our own in return be answered."

Dumbledore folded his hands on top of his desk careful now to avoid contact with the stone.

"That's fair enough. Please take a seat." when they were all seated Dumbledore again took control of the conversation. "So how is it that you know about the philosophers stone?"

The three alchemists looked at each other and by unanimous vote Ed began to speak.

"That's a long story."

Dumbledore shrugged "I have made it clear I have a long time."

Ed grinned wryly "true enough. But you won't believe me."

"I wouldn't say that so soon"

"Well then let's begin…"

And he did, He told them a lot he told them that in an accident as children Ed had lost two of his limbs and Al his whole body. He told them that this accident had caused them to seek the philosophers stone, which they had read about in their father's journals. He told them how Roy had recruited him and given him all the necessary rank and pomp to continue their research. He spoke of the military and how they had become corrupt. The homunculi, artificial humans powered by the stones themselves, and how they killed many of the people they loved, and planned to do more while digging a giant transmutation circle under the country in order to use the inhabitants for a philosophers stone. He told them how they had found this out and explained their rag tag group in detail from Briggs to Xing. Then explaining that only people who had seen the gate or had a connection to it could create a philosophers stone. Which lead to explaining how their father himself was an accidental organic philosophers stone. Then came the more difficult explanations for Ed. He told them how Roy had been forced to open the gate and he and the lieutenant was nearly killed. How despite all their best efforts they were forced to create the stone if only for a moment. And finally how they had defeated homunculus and how in exchange for his gate and his arm Ed retuned with his once again whole little brother.

To Dumbledore, though, something was missing. "Dear boy if I understand correctly to do alchemy one must have a gate correct?"

Ed nodded knowing where this was going.

"Then how is it possible for you to perform alchemy if you sacrificed yours for your brother's body?"

Ed smiled "We share a gate. It's a theory we came up with when Al was still in the armor and I was sick and would lose consciousness. When I was out it was harder for his soul to remain bonded so we theorized that part of my soul must have attached itself to his and visa-versa during the original transmutation."

"I don't believe I understand but then again perhaps I'm not made to."

Ed looked around the room. Harry was deep in thought, Ron was openly gaping, and Hermione seemed to be attempting to stave off tears.

Hermione dashed her tears away and spoke "it's your turn you've more than held up your end of the bargain. You said you had questions?"

Roy who about halfway through Ed's monologue had taken out his map answered first "they can wait. You should digest what Ed told you so you don't divulge sensitive information you'll regret later simply out of pity. As well as the fact that we very well can't do our job from here and gate help me if that toad of a woman assaults that Nevil boy one more time…" he left the sentence hanging as he bid the wizards good night.

Ed and Al followed after him after bidding their own good nights, their laughter mimicking Dumbledore's.

The spell over the three wizards seemed to break the second Al closed the door behind him.

Hermione's eyebrows drew together. "Dumbledore where's Amestris?"

"I haven't the faintest idea dear girl. I'd never heard of it until that first day they came here. I'm sure I've never seen it on any map."

"Do you think they could have been lying about all of that?" Harry asked

"If so then they would have left it open for us to lie to them in return. Remember equivalent exchange."

"Yes, yes I remember a bunch of rubbish if you ask me." Harry said

"duno mate I think Hermione's got it and anyway why bother telling us they knew about the stone at all if they were going to lie about how they found out."

Hermione looked pensive as Harry spoke up. "What if they were telling a true story but they reversed the roles wasn't one of those homunculi a shape shifter."

The three seemed to agree that further research was necessary but looked down as Dumbledore laughed at their antics.

"I know nothing I say will appease you but you have nothing to fear from those three."

The trio looked sheepish. "On the topic how is Alphones's class anyway?"

Ron groaned as Hermione and harry launched into a detailed description of their eventful first day.

Flash back

The trio walked into their new class.

Alchemy.

They knew very little about the art, other then what they remembered from first year and from their short observation of the strangers in Grimwald place. As it was, its selective status had the four houses in one class which the trio took as a death wish for poor quiet Al.

It was about a minute into the class before most of the children realized the professor was missing and quieted down I case a repeat of the first class with Professor McGonagall was in store. As it was when they were quiet it came to their attention that in the direction of the professors personal quarters sounds of a muffled fight could be heard. When that stopped the kids paled as booted feet stomped towards the door accompanied by unintelligible arguing. Finally with a bang the door was flung open and a long haired blond marched out of the room only to be tackled by a short haired blond a second after.

Harry watched as the two brothers fought. Ed seemed to usually have the upper hand so long as he could keep Al on the ground. Then harry took note of some strange details. The first being, the two weren't arguing in English and it wasn't any language he had heard before. And the second was that the two were back in their blue outfits with the strange gold trim.

Harry's eyes left Ed and all, though, as Malfoy straightened from his stance leaning on the wall and proceeded to snap his fingers at the dueling duo. Harry, knowing exactly what was about to happen, covered his head and attempted to look like less of a target. He'd seen how those two reacted to the sound of a snap and, though he was secretly grinning, poor Malfoy was about to as well.

Malfoy was about to speak when a clap and the slap of hands hitting the stone floor reverberated around the room. Then blue lightning lit the room and forced the students to cover their eyes. When the light died down and the students dared raise their heads they were shocked to see Malfoy bound to the wall with the same stones the wall was made of. Their eyes then turned to their teacher who was kneeling on the ground and the other blond who they remembered as the new guardian of the school.

At the sight of students and _not_ apparently the frightening adversary they had been prepared for the two shook themselves off and allowed their defensive postures to fall away.

"Hey Al I think your class is here." Ed said obviously baiting his younger brother.

Al blushed furiously. "I told you they were here ten minutes ago when I asked you for help teaching."

Ed seemed to think it over. "Nah Dumbledore said I'm not supposed to inflict permanent damage on the students. I think that includes mental damage."

"Ed…" Al seemed desperate and nervous and in some dark corner of his mind he knew his brother was enjoying this. As well as the frightened looks he was getting from the students.

"No can do Al I got a job of my own. Don't wana get caught slacking that's Mustang's job. Any way you can handle them. Just threaten to do to them what you did to that kid if they piss you off."

Malfoy spoke up from his place on the wall as he struggled fruitlessly with the bonds "how dare you do this to me. My father will hear about this."

"Al you shoulda covered his mouth too. Leave enough of that one when you're done with all of them so that we can send the pieces as a present to teacher."

Al shook his head at his brother now far to exasperated to want his help. "Get out!"

Ed ran out of the room but al was sure he heard laughter from the hall as he finally turned to address the class.

And proceeded to stare awkwardly at the class for a couple of seconds, before his 'I'm the polite brother' button kicked in, and started he class by letting Malfoy down. Al watched the boy his roster said was Draco Malfoy pull his wand from his pocket. The reactions varied around the room and he took note of all of them. The Slitherins, in green, seemed to enjoy the prospect of a fight. The Hufflepuffs, in yellow, were subdued and looked to be taking the bystanders role. The Ravenclaws, in blue, looked like they were above a squabble between a teacher and student and wouldn't intervene either. Lastly were the Griffindors, in red, who seemed smart enough to let the other side make the first move in this fight but would protect, from the looks of it, the teacher. Of course there were exceptions but from this first glance Al was pretty sure the only ones who would have any success were the Ravenclaws and Griffendors. You needed smarts and bravery for alchemy. Not everyone was suited for it.

His eyes never left Malfoy as he lifted his wand arm and leveled the wand at him.

Then Malfoy, in a bad show of false bravado, smirked and folded his arms.

"Who needs this garbage" he all but growled, if not for the tremble in his voice. He scooped up his books and left the class and all was not surprised to see a couple from an assortment of the classes leave after him with barely suppressed looks of fear.

When he was sure they were gone Al spoke again, "so true who needs that kind of garbage."

He heard the sniggers from the class and was sure that this group would be far more suited for alchemy then the previous one. He wasn't disappointed. The class was cut down nearly by half and the students looked hardy and exited this was much better.

"Okay well I'm Alphonse not professor there are no professors in alchemy if you find you need to use a formal term of address calling me teacher will suffice. Good? Good, now how many of you know of or about alchemy." He nodded at the sparse hands and wasn't surprised to see the trio's up either.

"harry can you tell us what alchemy is?"

"um… its turning one thing into another isn't it?"

"Isn't it? I asked you. Don't doubt your answer especially when it's right." Al grinned at Harry who seemed shocked that the teacher had teased him. "alchemy is the art of turning one substance or object into another. Alchemy has a couple of laws though same as magic. Breaking these laws has varied consequences that I'll get into later. For now though you should write these down and memorize them."

Harry watched as Al, in another display of alchemy, drew a circle on the board in chalk added, what seemed like, some simple shapes to it and touched his hand to its edge. With streaks of blue lightning less bright then earlier the chalk spread along to form three lines of writing.

_-The first is the law of equivalent exchange states that to gain anything something of equal value must be lost._

_-The second law states that you must never create gold._

_-The third law states that living beings are never to be used in anything but medicinal transmutations._

"Alright time for me to explain. Alchemy isn't magic its science. So that means you can't create something out of nothing therefore the law of equivalent exchange. Failure to follow this law could result in a rebound or fatality."

A hand went up. Al consulted his roster for the name and called on the boy.

"Yes Nevil? Do you have a question?"

"Yes um… I was wondering what a rebound is?"

"Aha well in magic I assume there is some sort of backlash if your concentration wavers during a spell?" he continued after receiving nods form a good portion of the class. "Well the same goes for alchemy if your concentration wavers of if your materials are insufficient a rebound could occur. During a rebound the most common reaction is for the transmutation to turn on the person performing it. I watched a man once attempt to transmute a gun from insufficient materials it rebounded and fused with his arm. Rebounds are not painless either, the man was in agony and he died soon after."

The children stared wide eyed at Al after the story. Al seemed surprised someone had the courage to ask a question after the response the previous had received.

"Yes Miss. Parkinson?"

"Are we just not supposed to create gold or is it imposable."

"Oh it's possible. It's actually a very simple transmutation. Take for example," he paused as his eyes scanned the classroom for a suitable metal. His eyes fell on the pins on his uniform. Oh was he going to get it when Roy found out. He started drawing the circle lightly so the kids couldn't see. "These brass and silver buttons. If you transmute particular aspects of the elements together," He put his hands to the circle "you get gold." He held up the sphere so the class could see. They were gaping again but it would work in his advantage. He transmuted his buttons back and the class seemed even more awed by the return of the buttons to their original form than the gold transmutation.

"But can you answer me this; what is our basis in currency I believe it's the same magical and non yes?"

A hand went up. One he found slightly surprising due to his usually quiet nature.

"Yes Ron?"

"The banks run on a gold based currency yes? So what your trying to say is that making a lot of gold would make problems for the currency standing yes?"

Al smirked. "Exactly. Actually took the words out of my mouth. But for those of you who don't understand. Imagine this," The blond took a gold coin out of his pocket. One that Harry recognized as a galleon. "Is worth its weight gold. Okay? Now I can teach you how to transmute and we can all make unlimited gold and live fabulous cushy lives and likely have no one be any the wiser. Calculating the amount of us in the room the change in gold's worth would be minimal but noticeable. There is also the chance that you are not advanced enough in the art when and if you try and the alchemy will start to decay and revert on its own."

Hermionies hand went up "professor when you say decay?"

"Oh! Yes, well it's more of a chemistry term which is where well be starting. Alchemists are bound also by the laws of chemistry despite the fact that we tend to bend them to get what we want." He winked at the class before frowning. "Hold on I knew that idiot made me forget something." He retreated into his private quarters before emerging with a stack of packets in his hands. "Me and my brother had this memorized before we were four." He gave the stack to a Ravenclaw girl who began handing out the packets. "I'll give you all two weeks to have that down then im testing you. Seem fair enough?" the reactions were varied but mostly favorable and he smirked. His brother had wanted to let them loose in what was apparently a magical and very dangerous forest. He thought he could teach them fine without resorting to that. This would do for now…

"I also believe you are aware of the duel nature of this class?"

Harry gave Al a confused look that he was sure was pretty common in the room. Al sighed.

"If you read the schedule, there's this silly little symbol ,called a hyphen, meaning to say that there are two parts of this class one being alchemy the other being combat or depending on your aptitude for the art simply its possible magical applications."

There was a startled reply from the back of the class to his announcement "You mean you want us to fight? Like boxing in a match?"

"In a sense. I personally find boxing rather distasteful though; I think there's rather little finesse to learning how many uppercuts it takes to knock down a grown man."

Harry was staring at him openmouthed now he'd seen the brothers fight a few times while they stayed together but he hadn't thought dumble... no the old headmaster must have known about their fighting abilities outside of alchemy therefore making them guards as well.

"I'll be teaching you the more basic stances and moves. And so long as my brother doesn't take a likening to _those_ classes we'll all be fine" He grinned at them boyishly and disarming but it did little to alleviate the obvious threat in his sentence. He glanced out the window and seemed to tense up but turned back to the class with a smile on his face.

"alright I don't have enough time to teach you anything else without leaving you all half done with something so next class I need you to bring a small bowl and roll of parchment okay? Thanks!"

Harry looked at his friends who shared glances with him before packing up slowly.

Al was shoving papers together in a rush and waving to students. Finally gathering the stack he looked up to find harry and his friends in front of his desk. His eyes widened slightly but he played of his surprise.

"Hi you three Im so sorry I've got to be heading out perhaps I'll see you in the library?"and he made a quick escape to his private quarters.

"Is he barmy?"

"Ron!"

"What? The library is in that direction." Ron said pointing out the other door.

Harry laughed at his friends antics and pulled them out into the hall but it had bothered him as well. What had the professor seen that had caused him to stop class in such a hurry? He should take to carrying the map again.

End flashback 

After that we didn't see any of them until later when you sent us to get them for you.

The old man smiled. "Yes I see." He looked at them hard. "I take it you won't be leaving our guests alone"

The trio had the sense to look sheepish.

Dumbledore sighed "well at least I can assume that anything note worthy will reach my ears with you three chasing them down."

Harry smirked lightly and Dumbledore waved his hand a clear indicator for them to leave and one they took without prompting.

They had a lot to talk about.

Thanks for everything guys feedback tells us we still got it lol (soul/ juans)


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